Aftermath
by mstrygrl
Summary: Things don't always go the way we want. With the complete Shikon no Tama in Naraku's grasp, the group falls one by one until only Kagome and Sesshomaru remain. Grief stricken, Kagome unlocks her true potential. X Character Death! X M for future content
1. Chapter 1

"INUYASHA!"

Kagome cradled the fallen hanyou, her legs soaked in the blood that surrounded him.

"No, no, no. InuYasha, please wake up! PLEASE! We NEED you!" Tears cascaded down her face, leaving streaks in the dirt and grime that covered her.

"iI/i need you.."

Kagome closed her eyes, burrying her face in his chest. Grabbing his haori in her fists, she whispered so quietly, even the Demon Lord next to her barely heard her.

i"I love you."/i

As grief overcame her, the sounds of battle faded out. Her mind was numb. This wasn't happening. It was just a dream, a nightmare. Nothing more. Any moment now, InuYasha would wake her up and everything would be okay. She would wake up and everyone would be okay. Sango would smack Miroku for groping her and then she would offer to go with her to the hotsprings to talk. Miroku would try to follow, and InuYasha would knock him out. Everything would be okay...

Even as those thoughts flew threw her mind though, she knew she was lying to herself. InuYasha would not be waking her up. Nor would Miroku or Sango or Kohaku. They were dead. All of them. They had died fighting to rid the world of Naraku, to save the world from his evil...

And they had failed... They had all failed. One by one, they had fallen. Naraku's face growing more and more smug with each gruesome death...

Naraku...

This was his fault. All of it. If it weren't for Naraku, InuYasha would still be alive. Her friends families would still be alive. Miroku would not be living in fear of his Kazana. Everything would have been fine if not for him.

It was sickening. How idare/i he! Playing with people's lives, as if he were one of the Kamis himself! All the death and destruction, the chaos... Images of the villages they had seen decimated, the mutilated bodies they had buried and the pieces of those that were unidentifiable, the greif stricken faces of families that had been torn apart.. It was all because of him. This could not continue, iwould not/i continue. She would not let it. Kagome was not angry, she was ifurious/i! She wouldn't let it...

Rage filled her, filling her very blood with righteous anger at the innumerable acts of evil he had commited.

iWhmp...Whmpmp.../i

It was almost inaudible, yet it rang through the battlefeild like a single gunshot. The very air around them pulsed. All eyes turned to the little miko, laying over the dead hanyou.

ibWhmpmp/b../i

The air vibrated again, the miko's aura pulsing around her stronger and stronger with each beat. The wind rapidly picked up speed and intensity, a physical display of the storm that raged within her. She stood slowly, head down, arms at her sides, her whole body shaking with rage.

ibWHMP-uPMP!/u/b/i

"biNARAKU!/i/b"

A feral scream tore from her lips, her once-brown eyes shot open, revealing nothing but white as her aura exploded from within her, rippling across the ground at an alarming speed.

Up above, Sesshomaru was in shock. Sensing the Miko was loosing control of her powers, he and the neko had hurridly gathered her fallen comrades before flying high above the battlefield. He and Naraku watched, stunned, as everything around the tiny miko disintagrated in the blast. Boulders, trees, grass... even the ground under her. Everything was decimated. It was then that Sesshomaru noticed Naraku was making his getaway, but before he could make a move, a large pink dome blocked his way, surrounding the dark hanyou.

Naraku hissed in anger and pain. So much power was radiating off the barrier the air itself burned his skin. They watched wide-eyed as the miko walked up to the barrier. Or she appeared to be walking, her feet moved forward as they would when one walked... except there was no ground. It had been blown out from beneath her as a large dust cloud, creating an enormous shallow crater.

Fists clenched at her sides, her aura continued to whip around her, causing her hair to thrash and dance about angrily, her eyes still that same solid white. Tears continued to stream from her eyes, her face contorting with the pain and anger coursing through her. They watched her 'walk' up to and then through the barrier, as if it wasn't even there, as she continued up to the evil being it held.

Blood red eyes locked on the approaching idare/i she! He was so close to fulfilling his desires. So close to being the most powerful being alive. All his work and planning, undone in the blink of an eye, by a hanyou's miko wench no less. During all his calculating and planning, he had never really taken her into consideration. Up until now, the extent of her powers had been purification arrows and barriers, moderate at their best. Not to say they weren't painful. They were strong enough to deter most youkai, but for someone like him they weren't life threatening. The death of the hanyou was supposed to break her, not awaken the power that lay dormant within her. He had underestimated the little miko and it would cost him his life, but he wasn't going down without a fight. Determined, he began his assault, shooting several tentacles towards her.

Kagome never even flinched. She continued her walk towards him as each tentacle was purified the instant it came into contact with her aura. Panicking, Naraku slowly backed up until he was painfully reminded of the barrier. He hissed again as several layers of skin burned away, purified on contact. Frantic, Naraku continued his assault, his desperation rising as she grew closer and closer. He screamed in agony as her aura made contact with his body, slowly purifying it. Burning it away layer by layer.

As if he wasn't even there, Kagome reached out with her right hand and plucked the complete Shikon no Tama from Naraku's chest. Both were instantly purified, Naraku's body no longer able to resist against her powers without the aid of the jewel he had used and abused for so long.

The dome disappeared and Kagome opened her hand, the brightly shining jewel momentarily resting in her palm before it rose into the air. The two demons watched as the jewel hovered infront of her heart before slowly merging with her body, it's purity flowing through her veins.

Then, it was over. It was finally over. As her aura died, Kagome colapsed to the ground below, exhaustion taking over.


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own InuYasha & Co. Just the plot line.

Authors note: This is just a short fill chapter. A necessary evil for the story to progress smoothly. It explains why certain things did or didn't happen. Without it, there would have been questions like 'Why did he do that?' (because I said so) 'Why didn't this happen instead of that.' (Cuz that's what I wanted to happen) ^_^ Read, review, and enjoy!

* * *

Three demons flew steadily west, the ground racing beneath them. After a quick glance to confirm the miko's companions were still secured to the make-shift pallet strung between the neko and tenbaryu, Sesshomaru looked down at the deceptively petite woman in his arms. Never had he seen such power, and from the her no less! He had always known that she was powerful and with training, he knew she would have been a powerful miko. He had not realized exactly how _much _power had still been untapped, locked away some place deep inside. If they had not gotten out of the way in time he, the neko, the tenbaryu, and the miko's fallen pack would all have been obliterated. Despite all of his threats, his mock attempts to kill the hanyou she apparently loved, she had apparently never truly seen him as a threat. Somehow, she knew he would not kill his brother. In fact, she had never really done anything more than fire a few warning arrows at him. It was a humbling thought when he realized that, if he had angered her enough, she could have erased him from the face of the planet without even realizing she had done it.

Immediately, he decided that a device would be needed to contain her power until she could be properly trained. She was already extremely powerful. Now with the power of the Shikon no Tama coursing through her veins, there was no telling what she was capable of. A tiny bit of her aura still seeped around her and every now and then the miko's power flared slightly in response to whatever dream she was having. If it had not been for the fire rat tucked around her as a barrier between them, this would have been a long painful trip.

~~~_ Flashback ~~~_

His first stop had been the village of the elder miko, watching as several villagers carefully relieved the two demons of their grim burden. While Kaede tended the younger miko's wounds, Sesshomaru gave her a quick run-down of the battle. As he recounted the day's events, she would nod from time to time, but otherwise stayed silent. It wasn't for sometime after he had finished that she spoke.

"So she was the only one to survive.."

"Hai."

"What of the others? Could ye not revive them? Do ye not have Tenseiga, the sword of healing?"

Sesshomaru's head bowed slightly. As much as he hated to admit his failure, it was true. He had always covered his protectiveness of his brother with threats, saying that only he, Sesshomaru, Taiyoukai of the West, would ever have the privelage of removing the hanyou's taint from the pure InuYoukai lineage. It was all a bluff though. No matter how impure, the hanyou was still his kin, thus Sesshomaru was honour and blood bound to protect him. And yet not only had he failed to protect the pup, he had been unable to resurrect him as well, unable to correct the wrongs he had committed in the past in his attempts to toughen the pup. As a hanyou, the pup had to fight twice as hard as any youkai, be twice as strong as any youkai, before he would have even been allowed in demon society, and even then, he would never have been completely accepted. He would have had to constantly fight to reaffirm his position as the Heir of the West, Sesshomaru's Right-hand Demon, half-demon in his case. He had hoped that after Naraku's defeat, he could begin to repair the estranged relationship with his halfbrother and assist him in securing his place among the Inu, but it was too late now. This series of failures cut at him, guilt seeping deep into his wounded pride.

"This Sesshomaru could not revive her companions. Tenseiga wished to revive the master of the Tetsusaiga and those who had fought along side him, but the Minions of the Underworld were protected from Tenseiga."

Pausing in her work, Kaede look up at him curiously. "Protected, ye say?"

Sesshomaru nodded slightly. "Tenseiga was unable to reach them, as if protected by a barrier."

"Hmm." The old miko nodded thoughtfully, setting aside the unused portion of bandages. "It would seem the Kamis have greater plans for those left behind than what would occur should the fallen be resurrected. Thank you for bringing her friends here so they could be taken care of."

"They fought well. It would have been dishonorable to leave their remains on the battlefield where they might be disturbed."

"And what shall become of Kagome-chan, I wonder? While I do not doubt the ability of her family or her healers, I do not believe it would be wise to send her home in the condition she is in. From what I have heard, her village has many people close together and very little understanding of spiritual powers and there are too many memories here."

"This Sesshomaru has come to the same conclusion. If it had not been for the miko, Naraku would have absorbed the jewel. It would have been some time before a powerful enough force could have been gathered to destroy him. Even then, there would have been the issue of what to do with the jewel itself. For what she has done, it would be a small thing to give her a safe place to stay for as long as necessary, however it would not do much good if those protecting her were purified."

Nodding, Kaede stood. Sesshomaru watched as she disappeared into the next room. He could hear shuffling noises and after a while, she hobbled back out with a small box.

"I imagine ye will be needing this." He watched as the elder miko removed a small black strap from the box and fastened it around the girl's neck, chanting an incantation that made the small ornament in the center glow a soft blue. "This will seal the majority of her power, leaving enough for protection and training purposes. As she learns to control what she has available, more will be granted, gradually increasing her powers until such a time when containment is no longer necessary. As it were," Kaede smiled softly," it would be a shame if the Western Castle was to be blown away due to an untrained miko's nightmares."

Nodding, Sesshomaru waited while she helped put the straps of Kagome's bag over Sesshomaru's shoulders as she had seen the girl do before. Then he stooped to get the girl. Cradled in his arm with a blanket around her for protection from the wind.

"S-Sesshom-maru-san?"

Looking down, Sesshomaru's gold eyes met the watery green of the kitsune. He had been inseparable from the miko from the moment he arrived and had been alternating between crying and helping Kaede with the bandages.

"M-May I come to, please? I won't b-be any tro-trouble, I promise!" Shippo pleaded between hiccuped sobs. "Ple-ease don't leave me."

Thinking back to his encounters with the group, Kagome had always been protective of the kit, almost motherly. Yet according to Sesshomaru's nose she was still pure, nor did their scents resemble each other as they would had they been related. While not spoken aloud, it appeared the two had adopted each other. Unsure as to whether the kit's presence would help the miko or hinder her with reminders of what she had lost, Sesshomaru turned to Kaede.

"It would be advisable to take Shippo-kun with ye. He and Kirara are all that she has left here and while certain thoughts may cross her mind, I doubt she would abandon them to pursue those who went before her. However, I imagine Kirara will want to stay until the lady Sango-san has been put to rest in her village."

Satisfied with Kaede's assessment, Sesshomaru nodded, allowing Shippo to nestle with the girl in his arms. While the kitsune might be capable of flight, there was no way he would have been able to keep up.

"One more thing."

Turning slightly, the taiyoukai waited.

"Humans such as her are emotional creatures, Sesshomaru-san. We crave contact and draw comfort from those around us in times of hardship. Much of what will be said and done in the time to come will not be with ill intent. Grief such as hers tends to make even the most logical minds irrational. As you must know she loved the hanyou, as well the rest of her companions, with all of her being. They were her family, her pack as you might say. Their deaths will not go over well and it will take much time and convicing before she will stop blaming herself for not having to protect them by learning to tap into her powers sooner. Youkai are not known for their empathetic natures, but please for her sake, try to be patient and understanding. While comforting a human may not be in your nature, coming from you, little things will go a long way."

With a brief nod to the elder miko, Sesshomaru resumed his flight to the Western Lands, both the miko and kit fast asleep in his arms.

~~~ _End Flashback ~~~_

As Sesshomaru approached the castle, there was a flurry of activity below as the various demon's gathered to greet their Lord. Shock accompanied by various forms of anger and glee registered on every face once they caught wind of the small bundle in the taiyoukai's arms. Rin's presence had not had as much of an impact as the miko's would. Rin had been seen by many as an exotic pet of sorts. Cute and harmless, many who had been against humans had softened considerably to her sunny disposition and childish games. The miko on the other hand was a full grown woman, known by all to be the intended of his halfbreed kin. To accept her would be to accept the despised hanyou part of his pack. If the hanyou had been alive, many would have passed it off as his duty in honoring the late Inu no Taisho. However, with the halfbreed gone and no formal mating in place, he had no such obligation. The willing acceptance of an adult human female had only ever occured once in the history of InuYoukai, and that was when the Inu no Taisho himself took one for his mate. Many had questioned the late Taiyoukai's actions, accusing him of going soft to desire something so weak and fragile. Aware of the magnitude of his actions and the future complications that might arise from those who disagreed, Sesshomaru steeled himself for the trying times to come...


	3. Chapter 3

_Kagome turned just in time to see a severed tentacle shoot towards the hanyou's back._

_"InuYasha! Look out!"_

_**Urrrk**_

_Time seemed to slow as he sank to his knees. InuYasha's golden eyes turned towards her, blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth as he struggled to breath past the blood clogging his lungs. Fear. Pain. Disbelief. Sadness. _

_"INUYASHA!"_

_Kagome rushed towards him, easing him to the ground. A quick glance showed that the tentacle that had entered through his back had gone through his chest, tearing a hole through his lungs and most likely through his heart as well._

_"K.. Kago.." InuYasha reached for her._

_Holding his caloused hand in two small ones, she knelt over him. "Shhh.. It's Okay, I'm here." _

_"Sorry... S-so sorry... Koishii..." Tears leaked from the corners of his eyes before going distant._

_"InuYasha?"_

_Nothing._

"INUYASHA!"

Kagome sat up, tears streaming down her face, soaking into the crisp white sheets pooled around her waist.

'Wait.. sheets? Was it a dream?'

Hope surging through her, Kagome hurried out of bed. The glass door to her left obviously led outside to a balcony, leaving two across from her and yet another to her right. Working clockwise, she started with the door across the room on the left.

Closet.

The second door led to another room. While hers had been decorated mostly in white with oak furniture, this room was coloured in a deep burgundy. Rich mahogany pieces filled the room, looking freshly cleaned. Despite the fresh polish, the air had a stale tint to it, as if recently opened after years of disuse.

Turning to the third door, Kagome was delighted to have finally found the hallway. To the left were a few more doors with a large set at the end. Kagome ran to the right, opting for the.

"INUYASHA!"

Rounding the corner at the end, she collided face-first into something big and not-so-soft.

_"Umphh!"_

Looking up at the man standing infront of her with his eyes averted, Kagome felt her face redden.

"Eheh... Sorry... umm.."

"Hogosha, Ojouhimesama."

"Er, right. Sorry Hogosha-sama. And please, call me Kagome."

Still looking everywhere but at her, he held out a clawed hand to help her back up, an orange and black striped tail flicking back and forth akwardly behind him.

"I am just Hogosha, Kagome-sama. Allow me to escort you back to your chambers."

"Actually, Hogosha, I just left there. I'm kinda looking for someone. Maybe you could help me?"

Suprised, yellow eyes finally glanced at her before quickly settling on a nearby painting.

"Do you often run around in nothing but your ne maki?"

Glancing down, she realized he was right. To her embarassment the ne maki she was dressed in was a thin white and held little to the imagination, considering there was nothing underneath.

Red faced, Kagome attempted to cover herself.

"Which room was mine?"

Not looking back, the man led her back the way she came, averting his eyes once more as he held open a door for her halfway down the hall. Entering the room, Kagome glanced around before turning back towards Hogosha once more.

"Umm, Hogosha? Where's my backpack?"

"Bakku... Pakku?"

"Backpack. It's a yellow cloth bag with straps on it that you wear over your shoulders. It has my belongings in it."

"Oh! Is that what Lord Sesshomaru-sama was wearing when he brought you here? I believe he had the items washed."

"L-Lord Sesshomaru-sama?"

Hogosha nodded. "The clothing was deemed indecent and put in a storage unit for the time being. The rest I believe is in the bath house. If you would wait a few moments, I will locate Jijyo. She will assist you with any personal needs."

"Umm okay I guess."

Taking that as an affirmation, Hogosha closed the door as he left, leaving Kagome to her thoughts. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Kagome looked around the room once more. For someone who said they hated humans, the room was rather lavish. A plush full sized oak bed fitted with clean white sheets with pink fading to orange sakura blossoms around the border and a matching canopy. Large fluffy pillows with a pink fading to orange sakura blossom in the middles of the pillowcases. The same design decorated the curtains on the sliding glass door. An orange candle sat on the oak night stand next to the bed and a pink vase with orange flowers sat on the dresser between the closet door and the door to the next bedroom. Looking closer, Kagome could see that there were flowering vines carved into the posts of the canopy while the other furniture had flowers carved on the drawers. The white carpet under her feet felt thick and soft enough to sleep on.

"_Lord Sesshomaru brought me here?"_

"She has awakened you say?"

"Yes my lord."

"Did she seem well?"

"Physically, her injuries appear to have healed remarkably fast for a human. She literally ran into me at the first corner from the West Wing, I escorted her back to her room due to her... lack of proper attire, My Lord. Emotionally... I'm not sure. The initial wave of fear is what drew me there. It seemed but another nightmare, however I wanted to be sure." Hogosha paused. "I must say my lord, while I realize humans are emotional creatures, especially the females, I have never sensed so many different emotions from any one creature in such a short period of time as that one."

Sesshomaru nodded slightly. "It seems she hasn't fully accepted what has happened... Locate Jijyo. Have her ready the bath house. This Sesshomaru will escort the miko down when she is ready."

"Hai my lord."

Bowing respectfully, Hogosha exited the study, leaving with more questions than he had arrived with. Who exactly was Kagome? For the Lord to take such personal interest in her well being, she must be incredibly important. After their arrival, Lord Sesshomaru-sama had not only personally overseen the preparations made for the miko's stay, but had handpicked her attendants as well. It had come as a suprise to many when he had ordered for the Hanyou's chambers to be prepared for occupation and as the miko's primary guardian, Hogosha had seen Lord Sesshomaru-sama enter her chambers often to check on her while she recovered.

Shaking his head slightly, he turned towards the garden where he sensed Jijyo's aura. The rumors had already started, it was only a matter of time before he discovered the truth.

ne maki- sleepwear

Heheh. Can you picture it? Lord Sesshomaru. Killing Perfection. The Aristocratic Assassin. Deadly, self-centered, better than thou Tai-yokai of the West, landing silently on the grass inside his fortress infront of hundreds of his subjects... wearing a cheerful, buttercup yellow backpack. XD


End file.
